Site investigations for environmental remediation operations require the extraction of soil and/or chemical samples for geologic characterization. Direct-push technology (DPT) systems are hydraulically powered machines that use static and/or dynamic percussion force to advance small-diameter sampling tools to retrieve soil samples. A well known DPT system is the Geoprobe® Large Bore (LB) Soil Sampler®.
DPT systems operate by attaching a soil sample tube to a probe rod and driving the sample tube the subsurface using a direct-push probing machine. A removable liner is placed inside the sample tube. The sample is collected in the sample tube, which is then withdrawn from the sub-surface to the surface and the liner containing the sample is removed from the sample tube. Liners may be made from a variety of materials, including clear polyvinylchloride (PVC), unplasticized polyvinylchloride (UPVC), Lexan® or other suitable plastic material.
To recover the sample, the liner must be opened. Cutting tools exist for opening liners. For example, Geoprobe® Systems of Salinas, Kans. sells liner cutters which create two parallel slits along the length of the filled liner. The liner must be secured by a liner holder, also sold by Geoprobe® Systems, or a vise, to use the liner cutter. Often, though, staff cut open the liners by pulling a blade down the surface of the liners towards themselves. This approach has been known to result in cutting injuries to the person and his/her gear.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,606,139 to Wittig, Kejr and Christy titled Soil Sample Probe With Retaining Ring for Holding Core-Catching Structure Within the Probe, the contents of which are herein incorporated by reference in their entirety, discloses a soil probe comprising a removably attached sample tube and a liner positioned in the sample tube for receiving a soil sample. After the sample tube has been filled with the soil sample, it is removed from the ground and the liner with the sample therein is removed from the sample tube. The soil sample can be removed from the liner by forcing the core out of the liner or by simply slitting the liner and peeling it from the core.